Water retaining and conveying attachment for cable lightning-rods.



H. SIMPSON. WATER RETAINING AND CONVEYING ATTACHMENT FOR CABLE LIGHTNING RODS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1908.

940,742. 7 Patented Nov. 23-, 1909.

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ALL 19W .7) P W66- HARVEY SIMPSON, OF BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN.

WATER RETAINING AND CONVEYING ATTACHMENT FOR CABLE LIGHTNING-RODS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. J'u1y 6, 1908.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Serial No. 441,963.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY SIMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Burlington, county of Racine, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Water Retaining and Conveying Attachments for Cable Lightning- Rods, of which the following is a specificatio My invention relates to improvements in water retaining and conveying attachments for cable lightning rods.

In a former patent issued to me April 30, 1895, and numbered 588,603, I have shown and described an attachment for tubular lightning rods, designed for the collection and retention of a sufficient supply of water in the ground at the base of the lightning rod to maintain conductivity at this point.

The object of my present invention is to provide means for connecting a cable lightning rod to an attachment, such as is shown and described in my former patent and to further provide means for securing sufficient conductivity at the joint between the cable and the water collecting section, to insure the delivery of the current to that section.

In the following description, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a vertical elevation of the water collecting section, showing the same partly in longitudinal section. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, drawn on line wa: of Fig. 1.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters in both views.

A tubular pointed base A is provided with a reduced upper end B and an aperture C, immediately below the reduced portion. A cap D is adapted to fit the reduced portion and to extend partially over said aperture. An upper section E is secured to the lower section by a tubular coupling member E, which embraces both sections. This coupling member is surmounted by a cup G, and the upper section E is provided with an aperture I-I, adapted to allow the water collected by the cup to pass into the interiorand downwardly to the aperture C, as described in my former patent. This upper section E is provided with an interior reinforcing sleeve or bushing K, adapted to receive the conducting cable L, the cable being secured in position by a set screw M, which passes through the section E and the bushing K, whereby the cable is pressed forcibly against the surface of the bushing and a good electrical connection secured. If desired, the set screw may be made with a pointed end, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby it is adapted to enter between the strands of the cable and force said strands outwardly against the side and back walls of the bushing. The bushing not only reinforces the section E and tends to prevent it from burning out owing to the increased resistance at the joint, but it also provides an increased bearing for the threads of the set screw, which may, therefore, be turned into position with great force.

By forming the water collecting base in sections connected by the coupling member F, the attachment of the cable to the water collecting member is facilitated, since it is not necessary to bend the cable out of shape in order to insert it.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is,

1. The combination with a cable lightning rod, provided with a tubular grounding device, having an interior bushing, of a connecting device comprising a binding device engaging said bushing and arranged to press the cable forcibly against said bushing at a plurality of points.

2. The combination with a cable lightning rod, provided with a tubular grounding device, having an interior bushing, of a connecting device comprising a binding device engaging said bushing and arranged to press the cable forcibly against said bushing at a plurality of points, said binding device comprising a set screw having a pointed end adapted to spread the strands of the cable against the walls of the bushing.

3. The combination with a cable lightning rod, provided with a tubular grounding device, of a binding and connecting member engaged with the grounding device and arranged to spread the strands of the cable into contact with the grounding device at a plurality of points.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

0. R. ERWIN. 

